Comparison

Core Anesthesia vs AnesBuddy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Core Anesthesia

This app offers a curriculum of audio episodes for CRNAs and students to earn CEUs, pass tests, and review for boards. Designed for busy schedules, episodes can be listened to anywhere and include printed outlines and sources.

Highlights
  • Continuing education episodes
  • Board review content
  • Podcast format for on-the-go learning
  • Printed outlines and sources included
  • Designed for CRNAs and students
Features
Read full description

Core Anesthesia is continuing education and board review built for nurse anesthetists, made by CRNAs who remember how little time there is. Learn by listening. The curriculum is delivered as podcast episodes you can take anywhere: the commute, the gym, the drive between clinical sites. Every episode comes with learning objectives, a printed outline, cited sources, and a read-along transcript. EARN AANA CE CREDIT • Class A credits logged as you listen • Certificates ready to download when you need them • No paperwork and no separate reporting STUDY WITH PURPOSE • 1800+ practice questions with rationales that explain the answer • Custom quizzes across 19 anesthesia categories • See which topics are strong and which need work • High-yield cheat sheets and procedure videos • Search that finds the episode, sheet, or clip you meant TAKE IT OFFLINE Download episodes and cheat sheets for flights, commutes, and dead zones. Anything you save stays available with no signal. For SRNAs preparing for boards and CRNAs maintaining certification. End user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

AnesBuddy

This educational reference app helps anesthesiology residents and students master core concepts and prepare for exams. It provides detailed explanations of formulas, case-based scenarios for practice, and quick access to essential guidelines and protocols.

Highlights
  • Pharmacology and toxicology review
  • Step-by-step formula derivations
  • Oral boards case simulator
  • Guideline and algorithm library
  • Gastric ultrasound reference
Features
Read full description

Master the Fundamentals of Anesthesiology AnesBuddy is the all-in-one educational reference and study companion designed for anesthesiology residents and students preparing for the ITE, BASIC/ADVANCED exams, and Oral Boards. Developed by Synaptic Collaborations, AnesBuddy consolidates high-yield textbook data and society guidelines into a single interface for rapid review and self-assessment. Core Educational Modules: Pharmacology & Toxicology Review: Study toxic dose thresholds for local anesthetics (LAST) and verify your memorization of maximums. Review opioid classifications and equianalgesic tables essential for exam pharmacology sections. "Show Your Work" Transparency: This app does not just provide answers; it teaches the math. Tap into any value—from local anesthetic limits to gastric volume models—to see the formulaic derivation and step-by-step logic, helping you internalize the equations required for board exams. Oral Boards Simulator: Test your clinical logic with case-based scenarios. "Check Your Work" features allow you to compare your proposed airway plans and equipment selection against standardized case stems to identify knowledge gaps before exam day. Guideline Library: Instant access to the industry-standard algorithms you need to memorize, including ACLS, Malignant Hyperthermia protocols, Difficult Airway algorithms, and ASRA Neuraxial Anticoagulation guidelines. Gastric Ultrasound Reference: Review identifying anatomy, probe placement, and cross-sectional area (CSA) literature. Who is this for? AnesBuddy is designed for learners. Whether you are a CA-1 learning the basics of toxic limits or a CA-3 prepping for the Applied Exam, this tool keeps the essential facts and formulas at your fingertips. Disclaimer: This application is intended strictly for educational review and exam preparation. It compiles publicly available medical literature and guidelines for study purposes. It is NOT a medical device and should NOT be used for direct patient care, diagnosis, or dosing decisions. All clinical decisions must be made by a qualified professional based on their own judgment and the specific patient context.

Screenshots

Core Anesthesia4 screens
AnesBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AnesBuddy at none against Core Anesthesia's 14. AnesBuddy also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). Core Anesthesia's advantage is ratings volume (535 vs 1) and chart position (#189 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Core Anesthesia sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. AnesBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Core Anesthesia against 5.0 for AnesBuddy. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Core Anesthesia has 535 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Core Anesthesia ships an update every 3 weeks, AnesBuddy every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Core Anesthesia versus AnesBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCore AnesthesiaAnesBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (535 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings535 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#189 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB28 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperStudent Nurse Anesthesia LLCSynaptic Collaborations LLC

Customer experience

Core Anesthesia

All ratings535 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral7.3%
Negative2.4%

AnesBuddy

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Core Anesthesia

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Episodes won't play offline or without Wi-Fi despite having data
  • Premium subscription doesn't always unlock premium-labeled episodes
  • Home screen categories don't display all available episodes
  • Inconsistent episode visibility between app and podcast platforms
  • Playback buffering and connectivity issues in the car

Requested features

6 requests
  • Chronological episode listing (1 to most recent)
  • Better filtering and sorting options
  • Episode download capability for offline listening
  • Improved search functionality for specific topics
  • Clearer distinction between free and premium content
Show 1 more
  • Enhanced navigation to reduce confusion about available episodes

AnesBuddy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

14 purchases

Core Anesthesia

Subscriptions5
  • Student Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • CRNA Premium Monthly3 Days trial$64.991 Month
  • Student Premium Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • CRNA Premium Quarterly$179.003 Months
  • CRNA Premium Yearly3 Days trial$599.001 Year
One-time9
  • Airway Core Module$49.99
  • Equipment Core Module$49.99
  • Pharmacology Core Module$49.99
Show 6 more
  • Anatomy Core Module$149.99
  • core_crna_10$199.00
  • core_crna_30$299.00
  • CRNA USAP 25%$449.99
  • CRNA Promotion$539.00
  • core_crna_60$599.00
None

AnesBuddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Core Anesthesia free?
Core Anesthesia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AnesBuddy free?
AnesBuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Core Anesthesia or AnesBuddy?
AnesBuddy is rated higher. Core Anesthesia averages 4.9 out of 5 from 535 ratings, while AnesBuddy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Core Anesthesia or AnesBuddy have ads?
Neither Core Anesthesia nor AnesBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Core Anesthesia or AnesBuddy?
Core Anesthesia ships an update every 3 weeks, and AnesBuddy every 3 days. Most recently, Core Anesthesia was updated on October 11, 2026 and AnesBuddy on October 5, 2026.

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